Three-dimensional depth sensor

• US 10,321,115 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2017
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Li, Weiming, Zhou, Mingcai, Lu, Ya, Wang, Chun, Jeon, Myungjae
• Primary Examiner(s): Broome, Said
• Application Number:
  US15/828,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20180160103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/36 with phase comparison between the received signal and the contemporaneously transmitted signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/894 3D imaging with simultaneous measurement of time-of-flight at a 2D array of receiver pixels, e.g. time-of-flight cameras or flash lidar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4815 using multiple transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4816 of receivers alone
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0977 Reflective elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/201 in the form of arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/208 for use with infrared or ultraviolet radiation, e.g. for separating visible light from infrared and/or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/254 in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/271 wherein the generated image signals comprise depth maps or disparity maps
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof

Abstract

A three-dimensional (3D) depth sensor may include: a plurality of light sources configured to irradiate light to an object, the light having different center wavelengths; an optical shutter configured to allow reflected light reflected from the object to pass through; and an image sensor configured to filter the reflected light having passed through the optical shutter and detect the filtered light.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional (3D) depth sensor comprising:

a plurality of light sources configured to irradiate light to an object, the light having different center wavelengths;

an optical shutter configured to allow reflected light reflected from the object to pass through; and

an image sensor configured to filter the reflected light having passed through the optical shutter and detect the filtered light,

wherein the plurality of light sources are configured to control intensity and a center wavelength of the light irradiated therefrom based on a magnitude of a driving voltage.

2. The 3D depth sensor of claim 1, wherein the plurality of light sources comprise a first light source, a second light source, and a third light source, and the first through third light sources are configured to simultaneously irradiate the light having the different center wavelengths.

3. The 3D depth sensor of claim 2, wherein differences between the different center wavelengths of the light irradiated from the first through third light sources are between 10 nm and 1,000 nm.

4. The 3D depth sensor of claim 3, wherein the different center wavelengths of the light irradiated from the first through third light sources are between 800-900 nm, between 900-1,000 nm, and between 1,000-1,100 nm, respectively.

5. The 3D depth sensor of claim 1, wherein the optical shutter comprises areas configured to respectively allow the reflected light having the different center wavelengths to pass through, the light having been irradiated from the plurality of light sources and reflected from the object.

6. The 3D depth sensor of claim 5, wherein the plurality of light sources comprise a first light source, a second light source, and a third light source which are configured to respectively irradiate the light having the different center wavelengths, and the optical shutter comprises a first area, a second area, and a third area which are respectively configured to allow light having different wavelengths to pass through, the different wavelengths corresponding to the different center wavelengths of the light irradiated from the first through third light sources.

7. The 3D depth sensor of claim 6, wherein the first through third areas of the optical shutter each have a same shape based on a surface of the optical shutter on which the reflected light is incident.

8. The 3D depth sensor of claim 7, wherein the first through third areas have a substantially same area size as each other.

9. The 3D depth sensor of claim 6, wherein the first through third areas of the optical shutter have different shapes from each other based on a surface of the optical shutter on which the reflected light is incident.

10. The 3D depth sensor of claim 9, wherein the first through third areas have a substantially same area size as each other.

11. The 3D depth sensor of claim 9, wherein the first area has a circular shape, the second area has a first ring shape surrounding the first area, and the third area has a second ring shape surrounding the second area.

12. The 3D depth sensor of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control the plurality of light sources, the optical shutter, and the image sensor.